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Tuesday, 28 February 2017

One lovely thing about visiting my incredible friend Linda is her cooking. She's an amazing chef, and is always excited to try new recipes and make things that I can actually eat. When I was there last summer, I saw her recipe binder and knew immediately I had to copy the idea. Linda's husband actually made her binder for her as a wedding gift, typing up all the recipes and decorating it himself.

I started by printing cover pages for each section. I found mine free online. Because it has been so long since I actually made this, I can't find the link anymore but there are lots of free pages out there. If you happen to know the website for my pages, please let me know so I can link to it.

Next I made tabs for each section. I like them all in a row but M complains about them, feeling they would be easier to use if they were spread out. In the months I've been using this I've removed a few sections and added a few more. My tabs include: appetizers, soup, main dishes, salads, sides, slow cooker, breakfasts, sweets, breads and muffins, beverages, canning, and miscellaneous.

To store the recipes I included page protectors because, believe it or not, they protect the pages. Shocking, right? I love that if I spill or splatter on them I can wipe them right off. I also love the versatility in including different recipes. Some are inserted after they've been printed off the internet, some after they've been ripped out of magazines, and some I rewrite, either on printed recipe sheets (also free and without a link) or on paper decorated with washi tape.

I also keep a file of recipes to try. One of my goals this year is to try and make a new recipe at least every couple weeks. If I make it and it's good, the recipe gets moved into the binder. It is strictly for "make again" recipes that have been tried and earned the approval of the family.

While I was making my recipe book I also put one together for M, and included some of the recipes I make that she enjoys. This way she can continue to add to it and by the time she's an adult she'll have a book of lovely recipes.Shared at: Life on Lakeshore Drive, A Stroll Thru Life, My Pinterventures

Saturday, 25 February 2017

Well hello there. As you may have noticed, blogging is not where I have been putting my energy lately. However, Thursday and Friday I had Teachers Convention and, despite many sessions that could have been beneficial to my teaching practice, I decided to take several sessions that look enjoyable, although not entirely relevant. The results were so exciting that I just couldn't wait to share.Thursday I learned to make a pendant using felted wool. It was supposed to hold a crystal but we used marbles instead. I couldn't believe how quick and enjoyable it was to make this pendant. I didn't love the marble so I've turned that side towards my body, which makes it look like a solid wool blob. It's odd but I love it. What do you think? I'd love to get supplies to make another one or two.

On Friday my art teacher was doing several session so I signed up for two. The first was to paint trees. There's a whole story about what a tree represents and finding one that speaks to you, and I did just that. This one is copied from an image I found on Pinterest that appealed to me. I'd like to actually paint a larger version of this picture on canvas and make it more my own and less like the original inspiration.

My second session on Friday pushed me far beyond my comfort zone. We started using ink (like stamping ink) on wet paper, and then played with adding acrylic to make a face. Finally we added some drips and splatters. I need to go back and fix the area above the mouth, and I plan to add some script using quotes from one of my favourite poets.

As though that wasn't enough creating in a couple days, Friday evening I had a craft night with my book club. We painted wine glasses. They turned out really well and are currently curing at a friend's house so I'll share them once I've picked them up.Shared at: Life on Lakeshore Drive, A Stroll Thru Life